ATC reserves judgment in Benazir Bhutto murder case

RAWALPINDI: After the defence and prosecution completed their arguments on Wednesday, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Muhammad Asghar Khan reserved its judgment inn Benazir Bhutto murder case and will issue a detailed verdict.

During Wednesday’s hearing, accused Aitzaz shah’s counsel, Naseer Tanoli gave his arguments and said that investigation by FIA is full of flaw’s, adding accused in the case were not asked why they were arrested.

Giving arguments the counsel said that Aitzaz shah was declared a suicide attacker while the seminary administration was not interrogated from where he got training.

Tanoli said that Ismail who was declared a operator in investigation and had taped Baitullah Mahsood’s call had fled from the court.

FIA prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar in his arguments said the attack was carried out from outside of the vehicle and not from inside, so why interrogate those who were in the vehicle. He said there are flaws in the dates of arrest of the accused on part of Police and not FIA.

Meanwhile after the hearing, talking to media FIA prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar said that Police had submitted four challans while three had been submitted by FIA.

Chaudhry Azhar said according to Anti Terrorist clause it was responsibility of the investigation officer to cordon off the crime scene. He said the FIR was registered at 8;20 PM while the crime scene had been washed two hours before registering of the FIR.

He said there is sufficient evidence against the accused, adding Saud Aziz was a facilitator of the crime as he did not provide security to Benazir.

The prosecutor said there were 121 witnesses in the case while the statements of only 68 people were recorded excluding the statement of driver Abdul Rehman.

The counsel of Saud Aziz Raja Ghanium talking to media said that conducting postmortem of BB was not the responsibility of former CPO, adding Zardari had not allowed him to carry out postmortem of BB.

He said that prosecution had not told the court why the crime scene had been washed. Saud had told BB not to come out from the vehicle ,he added.

The FIA prosecutor Khawaja Imtiaz talking to media said that former president Pervez Musharraf was excluded from the trial by the court as he was not present in the country.

He told after recording the statements of 68 witnesses, forensic reports and four challans, neither prosecution nor the accused have the right to challenge it as the case has reached its logical end.

The two time former Prime Minister Mohtramma Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack on December 27,in 2007 after addressing a public meeting at Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi. – APP